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by youtomyme



Category: Supernatural
Genre: F/M, M/M, Season 5 AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-27
Updated: 2012-12-27
Packaged: 2017-11-22 15:00:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/611103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youtomyme/pseuds/youtomyme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the events of Hammer of the Gods, Dean insists they turn back.</p>
            </blockquote>





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**Author's Note:**

> For clinglikeivy at Tumblr for Christmas.

'We have to go back,' Dean said. He didn't know what made him say it, why it slipped past his lips, but he knew that he had to. 

'You're crazy,' said Kali, and Dean felt a wave of fury wash over him. 

'You care about him too,' he snarled. 

'I care more about my own life, thank you,' she said coldly. 

'Dean, what if Lucifer's still in there?' said Sam urgently. 

'I don't care. He's one of us now, we owe that to him.'

Sam met Dean's gaze and Dean glared back fiercely. Finally, Sam broke eye contact and said 'Okay.'

'I'm getting out of here,' Kali began to say, but Dean said sharply 'Stay where you are, we're going to need you.'

She glowered, but didn't move, so Dean turned the car around. Sam began to rummage around for any weapons they had to use, knowing full well that they could throw their entire arsenal at Lucifer and he'd only shrug it off. 

By the time they reached the motel, it was in ruins. For a moment, Dean could only stare in astonishment. 

'It was only a glamour,' Kali said, face impassive as she looked up at the building. 'Once Mercury died, it began to fade.'

'Right,' Dean said. He checked his gun, then reached for the door handle. 'Hold the fort over here, Sammy. I'll be right back.'

'Okay,' Sam nodded. 'Be careful.'

Dean went, pausing only for a torch. Then he went inside, gun at the ready. 

It was very quiet. Dead bodies littered the ruin, and Dean picked his way around the corpse of gods once revered carefully. It was so still, he was convinced Lucifer had left, and when he reached the room the gods had had their conference in, he was sure. He shone the torch around, when his foot touched something soft. 

He swore as he bent down, putting his gun away and tucking his torch underneath his arm. Gabriel's body was still warm, and Dean prayed to a god he didn't believe was there that he was alright. 

'Is he okay?!' Sam called out, bolting out the car as soon as he saw Dean exit with Gabriel in his arms. Kali followed after him. 

'I don't know,' Dean said, even as it hurt him to say it. Then he looked at Kali, and with steely resolution, said 'Can you fix him?'

'I - don't know,' she said haltingly. She glanced down at Gabriel's limp body, her teeth worrying her bottom lip. 

'Try something,' Dean pleaded. 'Anything. I owe him this.'

'What do you owe him, Dean Winchester?'

Dean swallowed. 'An apology. I don't know that I should have said some of the things that I did.'

'That'll do,' she nodded. She raised a hand over Gabriel's body. 'I'm a destroyer, not a healer,' she added. 'I'm not sure of the extent of good I could do.'

'Anything would be better than what we could do.' 

'Fine.'

For a moment, Gabriel's body seemed to give off the faintest glow, and Dean thought he glimpsed a halo circling the top of Gabriel's head. Next second it was gone, and Kali was leaning forward, pressing her lips to Gabriel's. Dean's arms instinctively gripped Gabriel tighter. 

'It's done,' she said, pulling away. 

'D-did it work?' Sam asked hesitantly. 

'Time will tell.' She looked at both Sam and Dean in turn. 'I'll come and check on him tomorrow.'

They both nodded, and she turned and walked away. 

-

'Is he breathing?' Sam asked anxiously. 

'No. But maybe they don't have to breathe,' Dean said with a hint of optimism. He had been sitting on the edge of Gabriel's bed for the better part of an hour.

He didn't say it aloud, but if Gabriel died, a bit of the hope he'd been clinging to, that they would find a way to defeat the devil and get it over with, would too. They didn't know where Castiel was, they'd lost a brother, and now they were in danger of having a comrade die on them. 

But Gabriel was more than just an ally to Dean - he was a friend. It surprised Dean as much as it had (at first) offended Sam, but then perhaps it shouldn't have. Dean liked the Trickster and his tricks; he just didn't like their murderous nature. And now he liked Gabriel, really did, and it was sad that the only two friends who he had to consistently count on were angels, but they were friends, and Dean wouldn't bear the thought of losing one or the other. 

Some time at night, Sam went to bed without asking what Dean knew he wanted to ask - how long were they going to wait for Gabriel to wake up before they'd accept that he was dead? But Dean wasn't thinking about that, not yet. 

A few moments after, Dean was about to resign himself to sleeping on the couch when the sheets rustled. At least, he imagined they did. He held his breath, waiting - and then a much louder rustling sounded, and Gabriel sat up. 

'Am I alive?' he asked. He didn't sound disbelieving or incredulous - it was a simple question, and it made Dean laugh. 'Dean?'

'Oh my God,' Dean said. 'Is that seriously the best you can do?'

'Did you come back for me?!' Gabriel demanded. 

'Relax, Lucifer was gone by that time.'

'But I'm alive! That means he wasn't gone all that long! Dean, I can't believe you!'

'What?'

'I can't believe you came for me!' Gabriel didn't sound happy about this. On the contrary, he sounded furious. 'You could have been killed! I could have died for nothing! Why do you -'

He was abruptly cut off by Dean kissing him. That is, Dean tried to kiss him, and landed on the corner of his mouth in the darkness. Dean leaned closer and shifted until he could put an arm around Gabriel and kiss him properly, and when Gabriel kissed back, Dean held him even tighter. 

'Worth it,' Dean said simply. 

'Oh shut up,' Gabriel growled, pulling him down to the bed.


End file.
